Fourth Sunday in Lent: Open Our Eyes, O God!

 

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Samuel 16:1-16 (NRSV)

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Psalm 23 (BCP., p.612)


Ephesians 5:8-14 (NRSV)

Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light-- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

"Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

John 9: 1-41 (NRSV)

As he walked along, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, `We see,' your sin remains."

 Blog Reflection

Lent is now in its fourth week.  Two weeks from today we will begin Holy Week.  As we draw closer to the celebration of recalling Christ's total self-sacrifice for our redemption, the Revised Common Lectionary brings us to this reading of Jesus healing the man born blind.   It is another long Scripture reading.  Before we arrive with Jesus to enter with him into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, we need to reflect on how well we see the compassionate love of God before our eyes.

In interpreting today's Gospel reading about Jesus healing the man born blind, we need to take some important key facts in mind.  In the time in which this narrative would have occured, many had the horrible presumption that anyone who was disabled or a beggar was such because of some sin she/he or even their parents must have committed.

The major problem with John's Gospel, is that it is most likely written by the oral tradition of the Johaninne Christians. There was probably not one person telling the story, but many.  They faced a great deal of persecution and affliction because of their faith.  It resulted in a terrible amount of dislike for the Jewish Faith. That is why there is a lot of texts in John's Gospel that is very sadly antisemitic. In the case of this Gospel reading in John 9:1-41, it really does not help much that Jesus' reply was that the man was born blind so that "God's work might be revealed in him."  This too suggests that God afflicted the man from birth for this moment.  It is not exactly a ringing endorsement of God's graciousness.

The central meaning here is that Jesus put compassionate and healing love for the dignity of the man blind and poor ahead of the ritual rules.  As the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees heats up, the issue becomes what is more important; the person born blind and being ridiculed and denigrated by those from whom he begs, or the rule about the sabbath?

As Christians, we too need to think and pray about what is more important.   Is it more important for our Congressional leaders to please the Koch Brothers by denying millions of hungry people the funds for food stamps, unemployment insurance and protection from high-powered magazine rifles?   Or do we value even more the Baptismal Vow to uphold and respect the dignity of every human person to motivate us to tell our Congress and President to stop putting politics ahead of people?

As the nations of the world decide how to best respond to what is happening with Crimea, Russia and the Ukraine; are economic sanctions really the answer?   Those in control of the Russian government are not going to feel the most painful impact of such sanctions.  It is those who really are poor who will pay the biggest price.

Christians in the United States really do have another matter that we need to examine to question as to the clarity of our vision.

The recent issue of "religious liberty" has swept its way into every important social issue from abortion and birth control, to equal rights protection for LGBTQ people, and to reducing gun violence is out of control.   Any legislation on any Federal, State or Municipality level that seeks to address the needs of the poor, marginalized and oppressed becomes the subject of the "religious liberty" debate.  It has become one of the most potent whispering campaigns that amazingly has found it's way into the ears, pulpits and court rooms of our country via the work of the Alliance Defending Freedom organization.  I cannot remember such outrageous nonsense like this uniting the efforts of fundamentalist Christians and the entire National Conference of Catholic Bishops like this one has.  The religious liberty talking point is nothing more than a sham on behalf of selfish and narrow minded people claiming to be followers of Christ who are sore losers.  It is pathetic and immature. It is not liberty on the basis of religion.  It is  spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse disguised as religious zeal.  It is meant to blind people about the real truth about what is happening. Conservative religious based bigotry.  Because the same Christianist organizations who claim they are the victims of discrimination based on "religious liberty" think nothing of bullying a human service organization such as World Vision USA because they decided to end their employment discrimination practices towards same-gender married couples.

This past week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the arguments in the case of Hobby Lobby with regards to their "religious liberty" right to refuse to cover the cost of contraception to their employees as a result of the Affordable Care Act.  As to what I think of this matter, I am going to defer to an article in USA Today written by Bishop Gene Robinson.  See the quote below.

Sometimes, even for a bishop, it's embarrassing to be a Christian. Not that I'm embarrassed by Jesus, whose life was spent caring and advocating for the marginalized, and whom I believe to be the perfect revelation of God. I'm just sometimes embarrassed to be associated with others who claim to follow him.

The Jesus I follow always stood with the poor and powerless — and trust me, this struggle is about about power. Whether the issue touches women or gays and lesbians, our religion should be about more love, not less; more dignity, not less.

Christians need to be very careful about using our religious beliefs as weapons of mass destruction that could have a lasting impact well beyond the non-existent issue of "religious freedom" that has been exploding into a harmful and unnecessary holy war.  What is in our hearts may be very well intentioned.  But, if many of us would look into our hearts with Jesus, we may often find that what God is seeing there and what we think is there are not one and the same thing.

In our reading from the Hebrew Scriptures today, God tells Solomon: "Mortals, ,, look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).  During Lent, we are looking with prayer, fasting, alms-giving and self-denial at what is in our hearts.  We are inviting God to go there with us as we repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness.   At some point, it befits us to see honestly the blindness we pretend is not there with regards to our personal relationship with God and others, and seek the help of Jesus to change our ways.  That is what repentance means.  To change the direction in which we are going.  Christians have way too many examples in our history both far back and most recent of giving Jesus Christ a bad Name by fueling our prejudices.  It is time for Jesus and others to see in our hearts and lives the unconditional and all-inclusive love that is compassionate and self-giving with no exceptions.   It is time to put the love of God, neighbor and self ahead of our erroneous Bible interpretations and politics. It is time for our ritual worship and how we live and love to become one and the same.  Handling people with the same care as we would the Sacred Vessels of the Altar.

Amen.


Prayers

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down
from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in
him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 219).

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.260).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.816).

Last Sunday after the Epiphany: Listen to the Beloved: Tell No One What You See

Today's Scripture Readings

2 Kings 2:1-12 (NRSV)

Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent."

Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent."

Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (NRSV)

Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:2-9 (NRSV) 
 

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Blog Reflection

"I cannot wait to get home to tell my (mother/father/sister/partner/husband/wife) the incredible thing I just saw or participated in."  Every time I have an experience that is so wonderful and exciting, the very next thing I want to do is run home to tell Jason about it.  I love to call my mother back in Massachusetts to tell her any good news I might have gotten.  When we have had a wonderful experience the very next thing we want to do is tell someone else.  We want them to share in our joy and interest.  In a way, we want to tell them to appear impressive and knowledgeable. As generous as it might be to tell the good news to everyone, it can also be a form of demonstrating our being self-centered.  I know, I do this often.

Peter, John and James saw something so incredible, that most people just would not believe, unless they saw it with their own eyes.  Jesus being transfigured before them was an experience that made Peter say: "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."   The fear of something awesome had gripped these men.  All they wanted to do was stay there and be caught up in the splendor of Jesus glorified, with the voice saying, "This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!"

This is an event in the Gospel narratives that can be told and read.  It cannot be understood or explained.  The mystery of it can be talked about.  The transfiguration event cannot be described as an actual historical event so that there will be no doubt in at least some individual's mind, that perhaps it is just a story told.  We can tell a story.  We do not have the power over someone else to accept it as true or relevant to her/his life.

What is most important is not whether or not these events took place in the exact manner in which they are described.  Instead, the imperative is to consider carefully the truths they contain.

God, though mysterious and seemingly separate and alien to humankind, is very close to us.  The awesomeness and wonder of God as Creator, Servant and Life-Giver is not so remote that God is detached from our human experiences.  God's transforming grace is present in this world by God's perfect revelation in Jesus the Christ.  The revelation of God in Christ is made possible and available through the Holy Spirit.  It is through faith in the grace of God, that we are able to encounter Jesus in our every day lives.  Jesus the Beloved, interacts with us as God's beloved people.   We are redeemed through the merits of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are empowered by God the Holy Spirit to be witnesses and missionaries of God's salvation and Light in a world and time of darkness, greed and an obesity of power driven priorities that are designed to keep the marginalized where they are.

This past week, we witnessed a terrible display of male privilege being used to exploit and dominate the issue of contraception for women.  In the midst of a debate that is really about respecting the rights of a woman to chose what is best for her in terms of if or how she will be an incubator for male domination, the issue of religious freedom has been defended with a counterfeit version of God's compassion and inclusion.   The Bishops of the Catholic church with their insistence on "protecting all human life at every stage" once again advocates for an unborn fetus at the expense of the life of a mother. A mother who may have been the unfortunate victim of rape, incest, poorly informed sexual education, and of course the male preoccupation with himself at the expense of women.  This past weekend there was an incredible discussion on the issue of the Catholic church, contraception and religious freedom on State of Belief Radio, by the Inter-Faith Alliance. 

In actuality, what is at issue here is the freedom to choose what religious point of view works for each individual person, made by one group of people for the rest of us.   What is at issue here is the dignity of women and other individuals being empowered or having that power taken from them by people who have their institutions best interests at heart.  Not the best interests of women and other individuals who's bodies and reproductive systems are affected by their recklessness.  What is being discussed here is the question of what religious perspective will the State adopt, by which they will impress upon everyone else by means of who's version of the law.

The State of Virginia is very close to giving the State the power to force women with unwanted pregnancies to undergo a mandated invasion of her body, by way of an ultra sound, to determine whether she has the right to decide what is best for her.  Once again, male privilege is being used to legislate a woman's reproductive health care.

The same is true for the issue of marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people.  This past week the Governor of Washington State signed marriage equality into law.  Immediately, anti-equality organizations began collecting signatures to place a referendum to over turn the new legislation before the LGBT citizens of Washington have the opportunity to take advantage of their constitutionally protected right to marry.

The New Jersey legislature passed marriage equality in their State, only to have it vetoed by a Governor Christie who wants the issue to be put before the voters of New Jersey.  Once again, giving heterosexuals the power to decide that they benefit at the expense of those who are not.

The State assembly of Maryland passed marriage equality.  At their backs is the National Organization for Marriage, The Family Research Council, and GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum ready to take those rights away.

Why do you suppose Jesus told Peter, James and John to say nothing about what happened until after he was raised from the dead?   What is the likelihood that they didn't say anything?

The Gospel narrative of the transfiguration comes after Jesus was telling his disciples: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it." (Mark 8: 34b-35).     I believe that the succession of these two Gospel events are there to tell us something important.

If we want to really be followers of Christ, we must be willing to lay aside our own power, our need for prestige and control, and put God at the center of our lives.  Not just in a matter of personal and public proclamation.  But as a matter of living our lives in such a way that God's glory shows through our actions and attitudes.  Jesus is asking Peter, John and James to not tell anyone about these events, because he still has much to teach them by the way of the example of how Jesus lived his life.  Jesus had yet to teach them by way of parables.  They needed the lesson about being a servant rather than insisting on who should be on Jesus' right or left.   They needed to witness Jesus givin sight to Bartimaeus, and eventually go the Jerusalem to face his crucifixion and resurrection. 

There are times when we think that just because we have had one incredible experience of God, that we are to twist everyone's arm to think and behave as we think they should.  However, that is not the message of the Gospel.  That is not the fulfillment of the great commission of Matthew 28: 18-20.   This is not an invitation to make the Christian Religion into a Faith by which all others are to be "reduced" to our religion in order to find salvation.

We are being asked to listen to what God is saying to us as God's beloved, through God's Beloved Son Jesus Christ.   We are asked to not tell someone what we have seen, but to live the example of the One who taught us that God's love is unconditional and all-inclusive.  We are to show radical hospitality and participate in the ministry of reconciliation.  Each day and moment we have an opportunity to be the Light of God that we have experienced, by the way of arms and heart outstretched to express the love of God that is within each of us.   To allow God's grace that is gracious, merciful and totally receptive to all people.  God is present in diversity, and gives new life even through those who do not recite the Nicene Creed or say the same sinner's prayer that we do.

God's loving power is experienced through the physical and romantic love of two people of the same sex, in as much as it is made visible in the loving sexuality of straight people. 

God embraces the outcast, the wanderer who feels like their life is on the brink of giving up, the sick, the poor and those who think that no one in the world loves them.  They too are beloved of God.  They can know this when we love them. 

As we prepare to journey into Lent, from the ashes to the Cross and the empty tomb on Easter Day, let us become God's witnesses in our attitudes and behaviors, to show that our worship of Jesus Christ is authentically life-giving.


Prayers

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that
we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be
strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his
likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).


Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on
the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within
the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit
that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those
who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for
the honor of your Name. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 101).


O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us,
in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront
one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work
together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 824).